Accessiblity Auditing of PDF Report for GB Creative and South Downs National Park
Project Details
Client: GB Creative and South Downs National Park
Service: PDF Accessibility Audit
Standard: WCAG 2.2 Level AA
Project partners: GB Creative and South Downs National Park
The project focused on assessing the accessibility of a digital PDF report and identifying barriers that could prevent disabled people from accessing, understanding or navigating its content.
Quick Overview
An accessibility audit was carried out on a digital PDF report for GB Creative and South Downs National Park.
The review assessed the report against WCAG 2.2 Level AA, focusing on barriers affecting people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification and other assistive technologies.
Testing covered document structure, reading order, headings, lists, colour contrast, links, alternative text, tables, images, zoom and general readability.
The organisations received a clear findings report with screenshots, plain-English explanations, WCAG references, practical recommendations and a prioritised improvement roadmap.
The audit provided a clear route for improving the existing report and producing more accessible PDF reports in the future.
Developing the approach
A structured accessibility review was carried out using WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the guiding standard.
The review combined technical testing with practical consideration of how disabled people would experience the report.
The Findings
Showing the barriers
The findings were documented using:
Screenshots highlighting specific barriers
Plain-English explanations
Relevant WCAG references
Examples of the potential effect on users
Practical design and remediation recommendations
This helped everyone involved understand what needed improving, why it mattered and how the issues could be addressed.
Setting the priorities
The findings were organised by severity and their effect on users.
Recommendations identified:
Barriers requiring urgent attention
Quick improvements that could be made immediately
Issues requiring PDF remediation
Improvements for future report templates
Steps towards stronger WCAG 2.2 AA alignment
The final Outcome
The organisations received:
✔ A structured accessibility findings report
✔ WCAG-aligned identification of issues
✔ Screenshots demonstrating accessibility barriers
✔ Practical design and remediation recommendations
✔ Guidance for producing more accessible reports
✔ A prioritised improvement roadmap
The audit provided a clear route towards improving the report while also supporting more inclusive document production in the future.
